Chinese · Beginner (A1) · Chapter 8 of 12
Food and shopping
去菜市场Qù càishìchǎng
Shop for fruit, vegetables and eggs at a Chinese market: ask prices per 斤, ask A-not-A questions like 甜不甜？ and say that's all.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Ask how much food costs per unit
- Understand prices per 斤 (jīn), 500 grams
- Ask A-not-A questions such as 甜不甜？ (tián bu tián?)
- Say what else you want, or that that's all
Listen
At a wet market in Wuhan, Mrs Yang, in her sixties, buys fruit, tomatoes and eggs from a young stallholder. She pays with a 50-yuan note. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Stallholder
阿姨，您想买什么？
Āyí, nín xiǎng mǎi shénme?
What would you like to buy, madam?
Mrs Yang
苹果怎么卖？甜不甜？
Píngguǒ zěnme mài? Tián bu tián?
How much are the apples? Are they sweet?
Stallholder
很甜！八块一斤。
Hěn tián! Bā kuài yì jīn.
Very sweet! Eight yuan a jin.
Mrs Yang
我要两斤。西红柿新鲜不新鲜？
Wǒ yào liǎng jīn. Xīhóngshì xīnxiān bu xīnxiān?
I'll have two jin. Are the tomatoes fresh?
Stallholder
很新鲜，五块一斤。
Hěn xīnxiān, wǔ kuài yì jīn.
Very fresh, five yuan a jin.
Mrs Yang
我还要一斤西红柿和一盒鸡蛋。
Wǒ hái yào yì jīn xīhóngshì hé yì hé jīdàn.
I'd also like a jin of tomatoes and a box of eggs.
Stallholder
好的。还要别的吗？香蕉要不要？
Hǎo de. Hái yào bié de ma? Xiāngjiāo yào bu yào?
OK. Anything else? Would you like some bananas?
Mrs Yang
不要，就这些。
Bú yào, jiù zhèxiē.
No, that's all.
Stallholder
一共三十六，找您十四块。要塑料袋吗？
Yígòng sānshíliù, zhǎo nín shísì kuài. Yào sùliàodài ma?
That's thirty-six altogether, and here's fourteen yuan change. Do you need a plastic bag?
Mrs Yang
要一个，谢谢。
Yào yí ge, xièxie.
Yes, one, thanks.
Understand
Buying food: 想买, 怎么卖？ and 斤
The chapter title, (qù càishìchǎng), means “going to the food market”: (qù) is “to go” and a (càishìchǎng) is a market for fresh food. (wǒ xiǎng mǎi…) means “I'd like to buy…”. (xiǎng) goes before a verb and means “would like to”; (mǎi) is “to buy”. When you point at what you want, (wǒ yào…) is just as polite.
At a market, ask (…zěnme mài?), literally “how is it sold?”. The answer gives the price per unit, with the price first: (bā kuài yì jīn), eight yuan a jin. Fruit and vegetables are sold by the (jīn), which is 500 grams; a kilo is (gōngjīn), or simply (liǎng jīn). Eggs often come in a box: (yì hé jīdàn).
- 苹果怎么卖？Píngguǒ zěnme mài?How much are the apples?
- 八块一斤。Bā kuài yì jīn.Eight yuan a jin (500 g).
- 我想买两斤香蕉。Wǒ xiǎng mǎi liǎng jīn xiāngjiāo.I'd like to buy a kilo of bananas.
A-not-A questions: 甜不甜？
Another way to ask a yes/no question is to say the verb or adjective twice, with (bu) in the middle: (tián bu tián?), is it sweet?; (yào bu yào?), do you want some? Don't add (ma): the question is already there. The in the middle is said lightly.
Answer with the word itself, or with + the word: (hěn tián), very sweet; (bú yào), no thanks. With two-syllable words, the whole word is repeated: (xīnxiān bu xīnxiān?), is it fresh?
| With (ma) | A-not-A | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| (tián ma?) | (tián bu tián?) | Is it sweet? |
| (yào ma?) | (yào bu yào?) | Do you want it? |
| (xīnxiān ma?) | (xīnxiān bu xīnxiān?) | Is it fresh? |
No plurals, and finishing your shopping
Chinese nouns don't change for plural: (yí ge píngguǒ), one apple; (liǎng jīn píngguǒ), a kilo of apples. The number and the measure word tell you how many.
At the end, the seller asks (hái yào bié de ma?), anything else? Answer (jiù zhèxiē), that's all. When you pay in cash, you'll hear (zhǎo nín…), here's your change. Young stallholders call a woman of their mother's age (āyí), “auntie”: it's friendly and respectful.
More in the grammar: Asking questions · Numbers and money
New words
- 阿姨āyíauntie; madam · A friendly, respectful way to address a woman of your parents' age.
- 怎么卖zěnme màihow much is it (per unit)? · (mài), to sell. Not to be confused with (mǎi), to buy.
- 苹果píngguǒapple
- 甜tiánsweet
- 斤jīnjin, 500 grams (measure word) · (bā kuài yì jīn), eight yuan a jin.
- 西红柿xīhóngshìtomato
- 新鲜xīnxiānfresh
- 盒hébox (measure word) · (yì hé jīdàn), a box of eggs.
- 鸡蛋jīdànegg
- 还要别的吗？Hái yào bié de ma?Anything else? · Literally “still want other things?”
- 香蕉xiāngjiāobanana
- 就这些jiù zhèxiēthat's all · (zhèxiē), these.
- 找您zhǎo nínhere's your change · (zhǎo) here means “to give change”.
- 塑料袋sùliàodàiplastic bag · Supermarkets charge a little for them; market stalls usually give them free.
Practise
1.You want to know if the bananas are fresh. Which question is correct?
2.Put the words in order to ask the price of the apples.
Tap the words below in the right order.How much are the apples?
3.Match the food and shopping words.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
4.The stallholder asks (hái yào bié de ma?). You don't want anything else. What do you say?
5.Put the words in order: I'd like to buy a kilo of apples.
Tap the words below in the right order.I'd like to buy a kilo (two jin) of apples.
0 of 5 exercises done.
Say it out loud
苹果怎么卖？
Píngguǒ zěnme mài?
How much are the apples?
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.